Ahead of its Season 24 premiere in Fall 2026, NCIS remains a fan-favorite despite losing several of its main cast members over the course of its 23 seasons. Now, a former executive producer of the show just might have explained the reasons behind that. The military police procedural debuted on CBS on September 23, 2003. In recent years, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo, and many others have exited the series.
Why NCIS never slowed down despite losing fan-favorite stars
Mark Horowitz, who served as executive and director on the long-running series, reflected on its continued popularity.
During an interview with NCIS cast members Diona Reasonover and Brian Dietzen on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast, Horowitz broke down the important aspects about the show and its cast.
“The connection happened in the same way it still happens between the energy between all of you,” the veteran producer explained. “I mean, it really is the chemistry between this cast, no matter how it’s evolved over time. It hasn’t changed. As far as I’m concerned, that’s really been one of the most amazing things.”
Mark Horowitz continued, “You would think, ‘All right, well, Tony leaves the show, how could it possibly go on?’ And Wilmer [Valderrama] comes on and creates a different character, and life goes on. And the same is true with Pauley [Perrette], and you [Reasonover] coming on.”
According to Horowitz, it ultimately boils down to the fans believing that “there was real chemistry between these friends, this family.” He elaborated, “If it still felt like a family, then it still resonated with them. I had always said the show is really about the kids trying to please dad, that’s really the show.”
Moreover, Horowitz claimed that the viewers didn’t care about “the dead petty officer in Rock Creek Park,” indicating that he believed that the fans were largely indifferent about the cases that the team was dealing with every week and were more concerned about the dynamics between characters.
CBS renewed NCIS for its 24th season in January, and it is expected to arrive sometime this fall. Meanwhile, all 23 seasons are available on Paramount+.
